Help! Valve tick or something!

[powerdrifter]

I got a KA24E SOHC 12V, rebuilt completey at 175,00 with O.E. components, parts and gaskets. The entire top end is ported and polished from the Hotshot headers (port-matched to exh. ports) to the HKS SuperMegaFlow air filter adapter. Tons of bolt-ons, upgrades, etc., but the rest of the motor is stock. Has been very well maintained. Always change the oil every 2mos. with Mobil 1 15w-50 and a Genuine Nissan Oil Filter. But my car has this ticking coming from the valve cover that, even though it's driveable, I feel a loss of power only when it ticks. When it goes away, the car pull oh-so-nice and hard. I've tried using thinner motor oils and additives to quiet the valves and I've used thicker motor oils and thick oil additives to quiet the valves as well. The results seem to be the same. I followed some of the advice given on the Technical forum herebut it's still the same. Any input?

[I am Technoman]

Is the ticking coming from the front of the engine or the middle of the valve cover? Or the back? Try taking a large screw driver sticking it in different places were you think the noise is and put you’re ear up to the driver handle and you will be able to hear what is happening inside the valve cover or any were you place the driver…….

[jrc90240sx]

Sounds alot like my problem. but it sounds like your sound gose away?

i rebuilt my KAe at 130k miles, and have had nothing but problems sense. at 800 miles had to replace the new timing chain parts (do to crapy parts being used and dumb as builder not seeing it) sense then, i have replace lifters/rockes, oil pump again, pickup o-ring, and some other stuff. have had nissan try to fix it. they found my engine wasnt building corect oil presure. they wanted to pull my head to check to see if it was the oil presure build up valve thats seated blow the head.

I am going to go back over the front cover to make sure everything got back on corectly (o-rings are sealing corectly between the front cover and block) other then that if i still have problems i will pull my engine and make the machine shop rebuild it again.

so if i where you i would check the oil presure, and go from there. and if you find anything else out let me know, and i will do the same.

Joe

[Thee 240sx Owner]

I have a valve tick once in a while... I have one sticky rocker arm... and i dunno why but i think the hole on the top of the rocker arm that spits out the oil when the rocker arms clams down on the valve. get clogged.... If i rev it up to reline it goes away.. but it seems to happen when the car sits over nite or something.. When yours make a tickin noise.. shut of the car... and take the valve cover off and go thru each one of your rockers.. and tap them to see if theres any play in them if there is.. then thats your problem... They should be extremely tight with no movement... If it taps on the valve when you touch the top then thats the rocker thats cause your ticking... I dunno if it could be anything else... Hope that works...

[Thee 240sx Owner]

P.S. My motor isn't rebuilt and has 161k on it so i dunno if that helps any

[powerdrifter]

Thanks for the advice guys. I am currently looking into this, and I will let you guys know by this Sat or Sun 08-09-03 or 08-10-03. (To RacinDa240sx: You should've kept the wing on. our cars need more down force in the back. As far as your mods go, I wouldn't be racing at all until you get all those things taken care. I can tell you this much, just with the bad motor mounts, cluth, and top end problems, you're loosing gobbs of horsepower and torque. Retarding you're timing won't help much because the computer can compensate +/_ 5 deg.)

Mine has a tick that goes away, but even with the ticking I'll smoke you easily.

Remember people, True JDM is about a clean install, well-maintained machine. Not a half-*** rice-burner P.O.S. tryng to run with the the big boys.

JDM is the true path to performance!

[email protected]'89 NISSAN 240SX, '90 KA24E SOHC,5-spd conversion,'96 180sx turbo fuel pump,port & polished these:12v head (in/exh), MAF sensor (main inlet only), air filter adapter, throttle body, intake plenum, intake manifold, removed SCV valves (2nd butterflies) Injen intake, HKS SuperMega Flow Filter, HotShot Headers (w/ thermotec exh. wrap to cat-back exh. canister), custom 60mm straight exhaust (JDM), HKS Superlow Form Springs, KYB AGX shocks (adj.4/8), FR/RR strut bars, Nismo Chassis brace, Random Tech High Flow cat., custom 2.5" JDM style exhaust, HyperGround Wire System, Magnecor 8.5mm wires, Splitfire 3xPlatinum plugs, Nismo Radiator Cap (18psi/1.3bar), S13 VLSD, ENDLESS brake pads, Jun Lightweight Flywheel, Centerforce Dual Friction clutch,Optima Battery, Bomex body kit, about to be the 1st, FIRST! in the US with a JDM Ikeya Formula Complete body kit...

[Thee 240sx Owner]

Umm excuse me.. you make it sound like i don't know what the hell is wrong with my car... I didn't retard the timing... Who ever had the car before me had the guides replaced and they misaligned the oil pump shaft to the distributor and its retard 4 degrees, Also... why get mounts right now if i'm having my motor rebuilt and turboed.. and about the tru dsm drift style.. Uh unless you pushin a CA18DET with a RSD your not JDM...Anything else you would like to add to your i can smoke you deal... ?? I'm sure i would smoke you and you'll be smelling my smoke as I leave you And you might like this one.. My cars from canada.. LoL

[powerdrifter]

Canada?! eh, hoser. My car's got the suspension and body tuning out of the way with Ikeya Formula and JIC Magic parts. Last thing I need is the Coil-overs, and the SR20. Only reason I haven't gotten these is because I've been concentrating on the body and reliability issue. With my current KA24E, I'm pushing about 210hp on a lightened chassis done, again JDM Style. Me and my brothers study Japanese. We can get a conversation going. We do research by calling the companies in Japan and get advice straight from the sources. It's about actually talking to guys like Mr. Yoshinori Koguchi of IKEYA FORMULA and having them look at your car and make suggestions as to what should be next that makes my car more authentic JDM. Look for my red 240sx with a matching bidy kit, white front bumper, and black rims at the next So. Cal Drift Event. It'll have POWERDRIFTER SUPERSLIDESTYLE on the back windshield. I can back up my talk with action on a real race track, valve tick or no. I also rebuild 240sx motors on a regular basis, so I also know what I'm talking about. Look at my member profile and you'll see how much advice I give others.

[Thee 240sx Owner]

I dont' get it.. You rebuild motors but you can't figure out whats wrong with a valve tick.. and this isn't trying to be funny.. I'm being serious.. LoL i'm getting mine rebuilt... anything to suggest.. .. BTW i wasn't trying to come off as i know everything but seriously you can come as close as possible to being JDM spec.. but if your car was manufactured here.. your only gonna comeas close as possible to JDM spec.. IMO and i'm sure some others will agree.. but bout the smoke ya deal.. LoL curious if you have any dynos to back that 210 hp up??

[powerdrifter]

Yeah, Dyno'ed at Stillen in So.Cal. 232 to the flywheel, 208.6 to the wheels.

Like I've said, it's about a clean install. When you do it this way, you pay more attention to the details and you're more aware of what the car needs. It's a matter of overall complete maintenance. Don't get me wrong, my ride is clean but I care strictly about the performance numbers.